


Taking Flight

by 1917farmgirl



Series: Gravel on the Ground [3]
Category: CSI: NY, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, Crossover, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8018587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1917farmgirl/pseuds/1917farmgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mac Taylor takes great pride in his team, a team that functions more like a family than a group of co-workers. But what happens when the newest member of that team has a dangerous secret - one that could threaten the very lives of those he holds most dear? This story is an unconventional crossover with Harry Potter. Team Fic, featuring Mac and Adam strongly. Adam/OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Gravel on the Ground: “Taking Flight”**

**Author’s Note:** This is a rather unique story in concept, and I’ve struggled with exactly how to explain it so it makes sense to readers. I finally begged help off of the amazing Smuffly, who very succinctly cut through the mess to the heart of the matter. So, thanks to her, here’s what you need to know to read this story:

1\. This story is a sequel to “From the Ashes,” a Harry Potter story that is currently also being written and posted. Two stories being written in tandem. So, in essence, it’s a crossover, but more in concept and  
events than in characters, with the exception of a couple of original characters who bridge both worlds. If you are coming to this via “Ashes” you should know there will be spoilers for that fic.  
2\. That you can choose to read it in one of three ways. Take it as a piece in its own right, because it can function as a standalone CSI NY story. Follow the background story at the same time (or first, if you like things to be chronological.) Or read the background stories later on. All the stories can be found on my author’s page, and all bear the series title of “Gravel on the Ground.”  
3\. For those of you that are detail oriented and versed in your Harry Potter universe, you should know I have altered two things. First, I have pushed the dates for the entire Harry Potter universe forward five years in order to better mesh with the CSI NY timeline. This has been done in all the novels, so things are consistent. And secondly, I consider all the extra material beyond what was published in the novels to be suggestions rather than canon. 

**Special thanks to** Smuffly for being the heart behind this story and loving it as much as I do. For hours of endless plot help, encouragement, reading and re-reading, and editing. For making me keep writing it, and convincing me to post it. Without her, this story wouldn’t exist, so, Smuffly, this story is for you.

And to Lizzie, who’s boundless love of this story keeps me going. And who’s NYC expertise keeps me from making a fool of myself. 

 **Disclaimer:** Any recognizable characters, plots or settings belong to either the creators of CSI NY or J.K. Rowling. Only the original characters and the story idea belong to me. I make no profit from this.

 

**Gravel on the Ground: “Taking Flight”**

_“And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”_

\- Meister Eckhart 

*****

Mac Taylor looked up as the young lab tech knocked on his office door. Either they were getting younger or he was getting older because she hardly appeared ready to be out of school. Although, after closer inspection, there was something about this particular one’s eyes that seemed weary and ancient. Mac was a quick study of people; it was one of the reasons he was good at his job. He knew what that look meant. This girl had seen more than someone her age should. He fought the urge to sigh. Too many of his people had that look in their eyes.

“Come in,” he said, gesturing for the young woman to enter the glass room.

She walked in with a small, shy smile and held a folder out to him. He took it and opened it, quickly scanning the contents.

“The results of the chemical tests from the processing plant?” he said with mild surprise. He hadn’t expected those until at least tomorrow.

The girl nodded.

“What’s your name?” he asked, impressed. He’d seen her around, of course. With her bright red hair she was hard to miss, but even he couldn’t keep all the lab techs’ names stored in his head, especially the ones who usually worked the shifts when he wasn’t there. And he hated to admit it, but he hadn’t kept quite as close of tabs on the entry level lab employees as he usually did. Between the explosion two months ago that had nearly taken Don from them and left the team reeling, and his new…whatever it was called with Peyton, he’d let a few things slide. 

Time to start making up for that. 

The girl blushed slightly at his question and glanced down behind her glasses. Then she pulled the ID card off her coat and held it out to him.

Curious, he took it. “Sadie Weasley,” he read out loud. The name tugged at the corners of his recent memory. 

She nodded, glancing longingly at the door.

He handed the badge back and gave the tech a pointed look, asking for an explanation for the unusual introduction.

A resigned expression slipped over her features as she took the card back. With growing curiosity, Mac watched her reached into the pocket of the lab coat she was wearing and pull out a small spiral notebook and stubby pencil. She flipped it to the first and turned a well-worn, pre-written message toward him.

_I can hear but I can’t speak._

Ah. That answered many questions. He felt a flash of guilt for the discomfort he was obviously causing her, and the fact that this was a detail he _really_ ; should have already been aware of. 

“Did you do the tests?” he asked her, determined to treat her like anyone else and try to ease the self-consciousness she felt about her boss finding out she was different. 

She nodded again.

“How did you get them done so fast?”

This time she flipped to a clean page in the notebook and started scribbling with the pencil for a minute before she handed it over for him to read.

 __I work on the janitor crew, too. Finished cleaning early this morning but still had 2 hours left. Needed something to do.

Mac eyed her again, pondering. A young lab tech, right out of college, who picked up extra shifts cleaning toilets instead of hitting the bars and clubs with her peers? She was either strapped for cash, or not fitting in well. He glanced at the notebook again before returning it. __It can be hard to be different, he thought sadly.

“Well, thank you,” he said, meaning it. “You just put us ahead on this case.”

She blushed a little and smiled shyly, then turned to leave, but Mac suddenly remembered why her name was familiar.

“You were on the list to take the Level Two test but you took your name off,” he said, stopping her from leaving. She turned back to him hesitantly. “Why?” he asked. The results he’d skimmed just now were thorough and neat. She obviously had the knowledge and skills, not to mention the work ethic.

She shrugged, but Mac held her gaze, not satisfied. He had little tolerance for wasted talent and he wanted a better answer than that. Finally, her shoulders slumped and she pulled out the notebook again.

I don’t have the money for the test fee, he read when she handed him the little book.

Mac softened as one of his guesses was confirmed. “Take the test,” he said, smiling kindly as he handed the note back. “We’ll worry about the fee later.”

A look of astonishment filled her face.

Really? she wrote quickly.

“Really,” he replied with another smile, nodding. He could see there was talent hiding in this young lab tech, and he’d never backed down from encouraging that when he found it, no matter how unorthodox it might seem. He’d built the best crime lab around by putting faith in a bunch of misfits that most others wouldn’t have given a second glance.

Suddenly, there were small tears spilling out of the young woman’s eyes and rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away, embarrassed, and gave him a wobbly smile.

*Thank you, thank you,* she signed, notebook forgotten. Mac didn’t know sign language, but the meaning of her motions was obvious.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

Still fighting to control her emotions, the girl gave him another grateful look and then ducked out of his office. He smiled one last time to himself then picked up the report she’d brought him and started studying it in depth. The more he read, the more he knew he’d made the right decision. He would personally be watching for the Level Two test results this time around.

 

*****  
Always love to hear what people think!


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

With still moist eyes, Sadie Weasley stood in the hall, staring at the paper tacked to the bulletin board. People moved around her, hurrying to and fro, oblivious to the silent lab tech – just like they always were.

A strong sense of déjà vu filled her. Just yesterday she’d been here, her heart heavy as she raised her pencil and drew a line through her name on the Level Two exam list. There was a promotion open, to move up the ranks of the lab. Moving up in level meant moving up in pay: more money for food and rent…for Izzy. She desperately needed it. But to even be eligible to apply for the position, she had to take and pass the Level Two test – a test that came with a $130.00 fee attached to it. She’d tried everything she could think of to scrape the money together but it just wasn’t possible. Extra shifts just ate into her already precious time with Izzy; too many of them and the little girl might as well live at Mrs. Oddsocks. And going without a meal or two was hardly an option when that was already her reality most of the time.

No, she’d come to the conclusion that she’d simply have to take her name off and wait until another opening came, however long that might take. 

But now…

Full of stunned gratitude, she once again raised a trembling hand and erased the mark through her name.

 _Help will always come to those who need it_ , she heard the echo of a gentle voice repeat inside her head. Maybe that was true. Even when there wasn’t magic…just good people.

She heard the way the other Entry Level lab techs spoke of the boss. Because she didn’t talk and join in their conversations, they often forgot she was even there and could still hear them. Judging without knowing, they whispered behind the boss’s back, pegging Detective Taylor as an arrogant, aloof, uncaring man who ran his lab with an iron fist. Sadie, however, wasn’t so certain. Life had forced her to hone her observation skills, and the few times she’d watched the man, she sensed an entirely different vibe.

Today had proven her right. Detective Taylor, whatever other traits he might have, was a good man.

For a few seconds longer, she let her gaze linger on the list with her name restored to it. She ran her finger across it gently, then turned and headed back to the stack of files waiting for her to catalogue and label.

*****

“I know what you’re doing.”

Startled, Sadie whirled around abruptly as the unexpected voice addressed her. Bridget Martins, a fellow newbie, was standing by the wall in the shadows of the locker room, eyeing her coldly. She raised her eyebrows in question, knowing it would do no good to try and sign. None of the others she worked with had ever shown the slightest interest in learning to understand her. They were content to ignore her when they could and impatiently read her cryptic notes when they had to.

“Don’t play innocent with me. I saw you sucking up to the boss man, turning in that report early and then using the poor, pitiful can’t talk card with him to get bonus points. You’re working the system with your wide-eyed vulnerability and I’m on to you. There are a bunch of us here that want that Level Two spot just as badly as you do, and we’re not about to lose it to you because the law mandates this place hire a certain number of freaks a year to be politically correct. So you can just back off the brown-nosing.”

Her speech delivered, Bridget marched out of the locker room leaving Sadie alone. For a brief moment, the rather wicked part of her mind that had been cultivated by the twins for four years considered all the many ways she could make the other girl eat her words, but it didn’t last long. Her days of pranks and clever revenge were long behind her, left in the dust of a too short childhood. 

With a silent sigh, Sadie sank onto a hard bench, replaying the hurtful words that had just been hurled at her. Her fingers gripped the smooth wood and a mirthless smile tugged at her lips. For just a moment she wondered if Draco Malfoy or Pansy Parkinson had any cousins in American they weren’t aware of because her time in the lab often left her feeling very much like a lone Gryffindor in a room full of Slytherins. 

This wasn’t a harmless competition between Houses, though. This was her future at stake. And apparently, the Muggle world of career advancement was as down and dirty as the corners of Knockturn Alley.

She honestly didn’t know what to do. Once again she felt the pang of how alone she was, how much she wished she had someone to turn to for advice.

Still, she’d chosen this life; she would learn to live it. And she really did want to succeed. She loved the thrill of watching a puzzle come together to tell a story, seeing the pieces fall into place one by one. She might not be inventing amazing things to make people laugh, or saving the world from ultimate evil, but she still felt like she was doing something good, something she could be proud of.

Detective Taylor had just handed her a precious gift; a way to take the test when she thought it wasn’t going to be possible. He’d shown support for her, when he didn’t even know her. She wasn’t going to throw that away.

She’d take the test she decided, rising to her feet with new determination. But she wasn’t stupid. She knew she couldn’t survive working day in and day out with a bunch of people who had completely turned on her. So she’d take the test, but she’d be very, very careful not to draw the attention of Detective Taylor or any of the senior staff her way again. If she passed the test and earned the Level Two spot, she wanted there to be no question that she’d done it on her own merits and not out of charity.

*****

Adam sniffed the tuna sandwich he’d just pulled from the break room fridge cautiously. Through one reason or another, it had been there a whole week, but he hadn’t had time to grab a lunch today and he was really hungry. It didn’t smell like it would kill him and desperate times called for desperate measures… 

He decided to risk it. An apple snagged from the bowl on the counter and a refill of his coffee mug completed the rather pitiful meal. Careful not to drop anything, he made his way to the far corner table where Danny sat. 

Adam pulled the chair out and plopped down, but the cheerful greeting on the tip of his tongue never made it any farther as he studied his friend. Danny stared through the glass walls, his own food lying untouched on the table before him. He was so lost in thought Adam was pretty sure the other man wasn’t even aware he’d joined him. Following Danny’s gaze, it was easy to see why. In the lab across the hall, Lindsay Monroe was hard at work, peering through a microscope and pausing every once in a while to write down notes.

A mischievous idea flashed across Adam’s brain.

“So, I’ve been thinking about maybe asking Lindsay out,” he said, working hard to not react as Danny whipped around in dismay. “I was hoping you could give me some pointers?”

“You can’t ask her out!” Danny blurted quickly.

“Why?” Adam feigned innocence.

“Because she’s…she’s… Well, she’s not your type!”

“Really?” Normally, Danny’s words might have stung, but the pure panic on his friend’s face was just too good. He finally couldn’t hold back the laugh that was welling up inside and it bubbled out, his lips twisting up into a massive grin.

Danny’s distraught face flooded with relief. “Man, you suck!” he cried, smacking Adam over the head which just caused the tech to laugh harder.

“Hey, you were the one making goo-goo eyes through the walls,” Adam teased through a bite of his tuna.

“I was n-- Did you just use the phrase ‘goo-goo eyes’?”

“What? Isn’t it technical enough for you? Or can your manliness not take it?” he asked, relishing the change of roles for once. Of course, knowing Danny, that wouldn’t last long.

“You sound like a teenage girl,” Danny replied with an eye-roll, finally digging into his own lunch.

Adam just shrugged, still smiling, and took another bite of his sandwich, which really didn’t taste _that_ bad. As they ate, they both watched the people passing back and forth in front of the wall of glass.

“Seriously, though, are you ever gonna ask her out?” Adam asked after a while.

“Yeah,” Danny answered with longing in his voice. “As soon as I can figure out a way to do it that leaves no room for her to turn me down.”

“Make it a dare. You know she can’t resist those.”

Danny graced him with an “are you serious?” look, making Adam laugh.

“How about you, Chuckles? Fancy makin’ the moves on any of our fellow labrats? Some of this newest batch are real lookers, if ya know what I mean?” Danny drawled, gesturing not-so-discreetly to a group of the new recruits that were chatting animatedly with each other as they walked past the break room’s clear wall.

Adam let his eyes follow them as he hid behind his sandwich. It was true. Some of the newest batch of Entry Level techs were…there was no word for it other than hot! It would be a lie to say he hadn’t noticed, or indulged in some fantasies at first.

But those fantasies hadn’t been long-lived. Danny didn't spend as much time in the lab with them as he did. It wasn't so much what he saw as what he heard that kept him an arm's length away from them. Flawless skin and great hair just didn't cut it when he had to deal with the snide comments and one-upping.

Imagine having to pay to listen to that on his time off. He didn't think so.

“Some of them aren’t actually very nice,” he muttered. Danny needed to stop bugging him about this before his friend got it into his mind to try and “help” him out.

“Thought you didn't like nice girls,” Danny fired back with a wink.

“Har-har,” Adam replied, rolling his eyes and now wishing he’d never started teasing Danny about Lindsay in the first place. 

“Yo, guys,” Doctor Hawkes suddenly interrupted their conversation, sticking his head around the break room doorway and gesturing to both of them. “You’re never gonna believe what I just found on the packaging we took from the plant. You gotta see this!”

Adam sent a silent thank you to the Doc for saving him from where he could tell the conversation was going. And an afternoon of pouring over evidence with Hawkes and Danny also meant less time enduring the presence of the new lab techs, so that was a double thank you. Still, not all of them were awful. There was at least one that was somewhat different. Not the stunning beauty that the rest were, but she seemed nice enough, in a shy, quiet kind of way…

“Earth to Adam. You comin’, dude?”

Adam jerked out of his thoughts to find Danny waiving a hand in front of his face while the Doc laughed quietly in the background. Blushing, he nodded and stuffed the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth before draining his coffee mug. As he jumped to his feet to follow his friends, his stomach gave a funny little flip. 

_Traitor_ , he thought with a scowl. Perhaps the tuna hadn’t been his brightest idea after all…


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

“Did you make him audition as part of the interview process?” 

Stella’s voice was wrapped in a hidden laugh that tugged at one also residing inside Mac. 

“No,” he said lightly, shaking his head as a smile crept out on his lips. “Though, if I had, he no doubt would have passed that as well.”

They stood together in his office, gazing through the glass walls into the AV lab where a certain lab tech was jamming out to whatever tune was being pumped into his head by his ear-buds even as he worked intently at something on the multiple screens surrounding him.

“Think he knows we’re watching?” asked Stella in amusement.

“Think he’d still be doing it if he did?” Mac countered, eyebrows raised.

Stella’s warm laugh answered the rhetorical question without any words.

“I thought you were crazy,” she said without preamble a few minutes later.

Mac turned to face her, perching on the edge of his desk. “Is this a general statement of how you always feel about me, or are you referring to a specific time?” he teased.

She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “When you hired Adam,” she amended. “In walks this kid in a brand-new button-down that doesn’t do anything to hide the Scooby-Doo t-shirt underneath, so nervous he jumped through the roof when Danny simply said hi… I thought you were nuts to hire him.”

Mac smiled as he remembered that particular interview. Adam had been so jumpy and nervous he almost couldn’t answer the questions asked of him, but there had still been something that caught his eye. Beneath the rambling, frightened answers was the spark of passion – a love for science and hard work and solving things. _That_ was the quality he looked for in his employees. Combine it with the brilliant mind he could tell was hiding in the young man’s head – from both talking with him and perusing his excellent credentials – and he knew Adam was someone he wanted on his team. He could put up with a few quirks in exchange for all the rest.

“Still think I’m nuts?” he threw back.

“Yep. But not for Adam. He’s a good kid. We could use a few more like him, even with the dancing.”

“Speaking of that, what do you think of the current Level One techs? I’d like to know your opinion before the results from the test today come back in a few weeks…”

*****

With a muffled crack, Sadie appeared in the alley behind the dumpster, fighting hard to remain upright and not drop the paper bags she was holding onto the grungy pavement. Apparating was always harder for her when she was tired. Tonight she was exhausted, but the thought of hauling the bursting bags of groceries onto the subway and all the way through the city was more than she could take.

Steady on her weary feet once more, she glanced around to make sure she hadn’t been seen and then quickly made her way to the entrance of the building. The lobby was empty and she heaved a silent sigh of relief as she entered the lonely lift, setting the heavy bags on the floor for a moment.

Trading housework and errands for Izzy’s babysitting was a life-saver; there was no way she could afford it if she had to pay in actual money. Besides, she really didn’t mind. Eccentric Mrs. Oddsocks was the closest she had to a family in this enormous city. Some days, however, she was just so worn out after a shift in the lab and another one cleaning. Those days she only wanted to gather up her daughter and escape to their little flat, not venture into Norumbega borough and brave the crowds of New York City’s wizarding community to find four skeins of Wendy Weatherly’s Waterproof Wool in chartreuse or whatever Mrs. Oddsocks needed for that day.

The lift swiftly arrived at the sixth floor and Sadie hefted the bulging bags once more, pasting on a smile as she made her way down the hall to flat number 609. 

The muted, grainy music of the wireless was the only sound that greeted her as she pushed the door open and slipped into the warm room, quietly looking around. In an overstuffed armchair, Mrs. Oddsocks dozed, chin resting on her chest as her colorful turban slipped sideways off her head, knitting limp in her lap. As Sadie deposited the shopping bags on the small kitchen table and reached over to turn off the music, the silver knitting needles stirred, gently but insistently tapping at the gnarled hands of their owner.

Mrs. Oddsocks yawned and batted at the slender needles with annoyance before opening her eyes and noticing Sadie.

“Oh, Sadie, dear,” she cried, sitting up at once. “I didn’t hear you come in. You were so late tonight, I was getting worried!”

*I had the exam this evening, remember? And then the Nationals have a match tonight and Norumbega was crazy,* Sadie signed, letting the magical, silver letters that interpreted her words float up into the air above her.

“That’s right! I can’t believe I forgot!” the old woman said excitedly, flicking her wand at the wireless Sadie had just turned off and adjusting the channel to try and pick up the match. 

Sadie smiled. Ophelia Oddsocks did love her Quidditch.

*Izzy in bed?* she asked between pulling out various items and putting them away in the cupboards.

Mrs. Oddsocks nodded, listening impatiently as the announcer on the wireless blared through some advertisement for an anti-wrinkle potion. Beside her, the sliver needles leaned in closer, apparently interested as well. 

“She fell asleep about two hours ago,” Mrs. Oddsocks added over her shoulder.

As the commercial ended and the announcer dove back into commentary on the American National Quidditch team’s match, Sadie put the last of the groceries away in the ice chest, leaving the new skeins of wool on the counter for Mrs. Oddsocks to stash away later. 

“There’s soup on the cooker, dear. Merlin knows you could do with a little fattening up,” Mrs. Oddsocks told her kindly.

Sadie smiled in thanks as fond memories of another kind woman who had tried valiantly to “fatten her up” echoed through her mind. They were bittersweet, though, bringing with them the now familiar sense of loneliness and loss. The emotions washed over her like a cold tide even as she gratefully helped herself to a bowl of warm soup and sat at the table.

A week’s worth of newspapers lay in a pile on one corner and she rifled through them curiously. _The Salem Gazette, The Norumbega Times, The Hearsay Howler…_ There were even a few copies of the _National Enquirer_ in the mix. Mrs. Oddsocks said she always felt safer, keeping up with the news of the Muggle world. She wouldn’t believe Sadie when she tried to tell her there were other Muggle newspapers that were probably a little more truthful. And there, at the bottom of the pile, was what Sadie was looking for: a three-day-old copy of _The Daily Prophet._ She pulled it out, anxious for any little tidbit of information from the world she had left behind. It was opened to page four and an article featuring Madam Malkin and her new inventory of fall and winter robes. Grinning at Mrs. Oddsocks’ insatiable love of fashion, she flipped to the front page and then froze.

A very familiar face stared back at her, smiling self-consciously. _Boy-Who-Lived Steals Spotlight Again_ read the headline with a sentence under it adding: _Harry Potter becomes youngest Head Auror in Ministry history._

Her soup lay forgotten as she skimmed the article rapidly, learning for the first time a little of what had happened to those she cared about since she left after the war.

“You know you could write them…”

Sadie jumped, noticing that the wireless was now silent and the old woman was sitting at the table across from her.

*What?* she asked, trying to gather her scattered thoughts.

“Write them, child,” repeated Mrs. Oddsocks gently. “You miss them.”

Sadie gazed back at the photo of her cousin. The little black and white image was now looking at her with a sad, solemn expression.

It was true; she missed them all terribly – Harry, the Weasleys, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, George and – 

She stopped that thought, unable to complete it, and forced her mind back down safer paths. She missed the warmth, the love, the friendship, the sense of belonging that had been hers for four short years. Her heart longed to do just what Mrs. Oddsocks suggested and post them a letter, but she couldn’t. No, she wouldn’t. She had her reasons for leaving, and the most important one was sleeping in Mrs. Oddsocks’ spare room right now. Harry had defeated his demons and made the wizarding world a safer place but Sadie knew there was still evil out there. She would do anything to keep Izzy safe, even if it meant leaving everything and everyone else she cared about behind forever.

“Or, I could Floo Minerva right now. Just let me check to see how much powder –”

Sadie reached out and grabbed Mrs. Oddsocks’ arm before she could rise all the way, adamantly shaking her head no. 

“Sadie…” Mrs. Oddsocks sighed.

*You promised,* Sadie reminded her benefactor urgently.

“I know, I know, dear,” said Mrs. Oddsocks, patting her arm with her papery hand. “And I know why. I just worry about you. It’s not good for you to be working so hard and be so alone.”

*I’m fine,* signed Sadie as she hurried to finish her soup, anxious to take Izzy and go home now. *And I love my work,* she added, which was completely true. Working in the lab was amazing.

“So, how did the test go?”

The change of topic made Sadie cringe. That test had been a monster! But she’d studied hard and managed to answer everything at least. *I did my best,* she replied, shrugging to show that now all she could do was wait and see.

“I’m sure you did fine, love.”

*Thanks,* replied Sadie, standing and putting her dishes in the sink. She’d wash them tomorrow along with any other chores Mrs. Oddsocks might have for her; she was just too tired tonight. Then she stepped up to one of the closed doors that ringed the central living space of the flat and opened it carefully.

A light burned low on the nightstand, bathing the room in a soft, muted glow. Tucked snugly into the big, spare bed that filled most of the space was the freckled, red-haired little girl Sadie loved more than anyone in the world.

Quiet as a mouse, Sadie crept into the room and up to the bed, denting one side of the colorful quilt as she perched on the edge. For a long moment, she just sat there, letting her eyes drink in the sight of Izzy – warm and peacefully asleep, not a care in the world.

Sadie would do whatever it took to keep it that way.

Finally, she reached out and gently ran her hand across Izzy’s forehead and down her bright, messy hair. A few more strokes and the little girl’s eyelids fluttered.

“Mummy?” Izzy whispered in a sleep-thick voice.

Sadie nodded, her lips turning up in a gentle smile.

“Go home now?”

Sadie nodded again.

“’K,” muttered the sleepy child, holding her arms up. Sadie picked her up, letting the almost three-year-old mold limply into her hold, Izzy’s head falling naturally onto her shoulder. She was heavy, but Sadie didn’t mind, loving the way Izzy fit so perfectly into her arms. 

“Dragon?” Izzy mumbled into her neck, making sure her fuzzy friend wouldn’t be left behind. Sadie fished the hand-knitted toy out of the bed and tucked it into Izzy’s hold, then carefully wrapped a small blanket around her daughter’s back. 

“Love you, Mummy.” Izzy’s words were barely more than a whisper but they filled Sadie with the most wonderful, warm glow.

 _I love you, too, little one_ , she answered in her head, knowing Izzy was already out cold and couldn’t see her hands. Sadie knew from experience she would stay that way, all the way onto the subway and across the giant, concrete city to their tiny flat they called home.

*****

Mac had hardly dropped his fist after knocking when the wooden door popped open.

“Mac,” Don said curtly.

“Don,” he returned the greeting, holding back a smile as he took in his friend’s rather disheveled appearance and slightly grumpy tone of voice. They stood in silence for a few moments before he added, “May I come in?”

“Oh, yeah,” Don answered stepping back to let Mac enter his apartment.

Ever observant, Mac let his eyes roam as he passed, taking in every detail. He expected to find stacks of pizza boxes, old take-out containers, rumpled blankets, and dirty dishes, so he was mildly surprised to see the place neat and clean. He turned to Don, one eyebrow raised in question.

“What else was I supposed to do, stuck on house arrest for this long?” the detective groused, shutting the door and then sitting on the arm of his couch.

Mac couldn’t hold his smile back any longer. Don Flack had to be bored out of his mind if he’d resorted to housework.

“Feeling better then?” he teased. The joke was easy and Mac’s tone was light; a way to block the memory that haunted him. Don Flack, fighting for his life in the wreckage of the bomb, with Mac’s own hand in his friend’s open chest… 

“I feel fine! Better than fine. I’ve done all my physical therapy and there’s no pain, not even twinges. No stiffness, nothin’. I should be back out there, doin’ my job, not stuck here cooped up in my apartment, but the captain says no. Not until every last minute of the medical leave my overprotective doctors ordered has been used up. I’m goin’ nuts here, Mac!”

Mac stayed silent through his friend’s rant, watching in amusement. Don frowned.

“So, did you come by to give poor, sick Don some soup or somethin’?” he asked with slight irritation.

“Haven’t Stella and Lindsay had that covered for the last two months?” countered Mac, reminded of the steady stream of “healthy” food the two women had arranged to offset Danny’s apparent plan to nurse Don back to health through the miracle drug known as pizza.

Don’s prickly mood slipped a little at that comment. “Yeah, I do have to admit I’m gonna miss the food. You know your odd lab rat Ross even came over with a pot of soup?”

“He did?” Mac replied, surprised. Adam had a soft and generous heart, but it was often hindered by a rather paralyzing shyness around those he considered to be his superiors.

“Got the feeling he’d made it himself. And it wasn’t half bad…” said Don, finally smiling for real.

 _Interesting_ , Mac thought, filing that away with all the other intriguing tidbits of information he learned everyday about his senior lab tech.

“So, if you’re not here to bring me food or work some of your magic and get me back on duty, why are you here?”

“No magic or home-cooked food I’m afraid, but I could probably spring for a burger and fries on the way…”

“Way where?”

Laughing, Mac reached inside his jacket and pulled out two tickets, holding them up for Don to see.

“Mets tickets!”

“Of course, if you want to stay here and keep cleaning I can find someone else to –”

“Don’t you dare!” Flack interrupted, jumping to his feet and grabbing his ball cap and keys. 

Mac chuckled and followed his friend out, practically running to keep up with Don who was fleeing his apartment like a prisoner escaping his prison.

 

 **Author’s Note:**  
I am trying very hard to keep the Harry Potter elements of this story understandable to anyone who is unfamiliar with the series, and also on sparser side of things. This IS a CSI NY story. But, there are a few things that have to be addressed to give Sadie her background and personality and this chapter needed to tackle a few of them. I hope it was interesting and readable for those of you who aren’t Harry Potter fans.

Also, a little note about magical places. In the Harry Potter books, there are magical streets and locations within non-magic (or Muggle) cities that are hidden from Muggle eyes. London has several shopping streets that Muggles can’t find or see, and there are even whole towns or villages that only magical people live in and Muggles don’t even know exist. I’m operating on the assumption that the same would be true in America. With New York City being the huge place it is, it makes sense to me that it would have a large wizarding population. I have chosen to give NYC a 6th magical borough, and in the story, it exists on an Island in Lower New York bay and has a subway line that runs to it that only wizards can find and ride. I named it Norumbega borough after a legendary settlement that myths say once existed in North America.

Thanks to everyone giving this very odd story a shot! Means a ton to me! And thanks to Smuffly for help and inspiration, and most of all, friendship.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

“Mac Taylor, you haven’t changed a bit.”

The warm voice floated to him over the hum of the coffee shop. He turned and saw his long-time friend Dr. Stacey Silva approaching. Her short, graying brown hair stood up in little spikes around her head, a strange contrast to the conservative skirt and blouse she was wearing. The bag at her shoulder and reading glasses strung about her neck told him she had classes to teach later at NYU. He stood swiftly as she pulled out the chair opposite him, a grin spreading across her face.

“Still the rare, old-fashioned gentleman even,” she said with a laugh as she sat down. “Although someone finally got you to give up the ties.”

“Stella,” answered Mac, shaking his head as he lowered himself back into his own chair.

“Ah,” said Stacey, her grin growing even slyer. “That explains everything.”

Mac laughed, conceding the point with a nod. He couldn’t argue with truth.

“So how are you, Mac?” she asked, taking a drink of her coffee and piercing him with the all-seeing stare she usually reserved for her students. “I haven’t seen you since…”

She trailed off but Mac heard the unfinished words “ _since Claire died_ ” echo through his head. As it always did, a sharp pain of grief shot through him while Claire’s beautiful face danced cross his mind, but he pushed it aside gently.

“I’m good, Stacey,” he said softly. “How are you and Raymond?”

“Same old, same old,” she said, rolling her eyes as she cradled her coffee in her long, thin fingers. “Ray is still lost in his rocks; I swear the house is going to fall down one of these days, he brings so many of them home. And I have my classes and students. Between the two of us, we make sure we each stop to eat once in a while. Things are good.”

“That’s great,” said Mac, truly happy for his old friend.

“So, I’m curious, Mac. Why the call to meet up out of the blue?”

“It’s about one of your students, actually,” answered Mac, getting down to business, his own coffee already long gone. “Sadie –”

“– Weasley,” Stacey finished without a pause.

“You remember her then?”

“She’s a hard one to forget,” his friend answered, her voice slightly more solemn. “Besides, I actively steered her in your direction when I saw the NYPD lab was hiring. I specifically told her to list me as a reference, but I got worried when you never called. Figured she hadn’t made the cut, or something had come up and she’d gone elsewhere. This was months ago, though Mac. Why are you calling now?”

“She was hired, but… _things_ came up and for the first time in years I wasn’t the one doing the hiring, which is why I never noticed your name before. Now there’s a promotion open at the lab, though, and so I’m going back through resumes and calling references for all the candidates. When I saw you listed…well, a chat over coffee is much nicer than one on the phone.”

“And you have more questions about Sadie than the rest of your possible candidates, don’t you?” said Stacey bluntly.

“Yes,” he answered, unable to deny it. The bright, quiet lab tech had filled him with questions.

“She’s a good kid. Excellent grades and a work ethic I’ve rarely seen in one so young. She finished the program in only three years by going to school year round. And she’s got a smart, grounded head on her shoulders. There’s a reason I nudged her your way, Mac. I know the standards you set for your lab.”

Mac nodded, leaning back thoughtfully in his chair. This was very close to what he thought she’d tell him. Dr. Stacey Silva didn’t string her students along with false hope; she told them how it was. That’s what made her one of the best Forensic Science instructors in the country. And she only stepped in to personally mentor the students in which she saw the most potential and talent. 

“What happened to her? How’d she lose her voice?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity, even though he knew the answers would make no difference in his hiring decision.

Stacey leaned back in her chair as well, shaking her head. “No idea. I was only her advisor for the last year and a half, after she passed the preliminary tests and became an upperclassman. She was polite, thoughtful, always diligent and hard-working, but…it’s like she kept the world at arm’s length. I’ve never met anyone so good at keeping their private life private. I finally gave up and accepted that we all have our secrets and she was entitled to hers. It never affected her work, other than the need for a little patience in understanding her, so why should I worry about it?” She paused for a moment and Mac saw her eyes narrow slightly. “You’re not counting her disability against her, are you Mac?” The disapproval was strong in her voice now.

“Of course not,” he hurried to assure her. “You know me better than that. I just want to make sure I check out all the applicants fairly. If there’s something that could impact a person’s ability to work well in the lab, I need to know it before I make a hiring decision, that’s all.”

“So, you’re considering her for the open position?”

Mac nodded. “Sadie made a good impression on me the first time I met her and I’ve been keeping an eye on her. The work she’s done is excellent, but I have to wait for the Level Two test results in a few days before I can make my decision. And the others are very good as well. It’s a hard choice to make.”

Just then Stacey’s bag gave a cheerful beep and she fished though it until she came up with a cell phone, quickly reading a text. “I’m sorry, Mac,” she said regretfully as she gathered up her things. “It’s the Dean. He’s had to move a meeting with a candidate professor up and I’m afraid I have to run.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, rising. “I should get back to the lab anyway.”

“Don’t be a stranger, though! Let’s not go five years before we get together again. And you should come by the house sometime. Ray would love to catch up.”

“I will,” Mac promised, making a mental note to follow through. It was time to stop avoiding all of his and Claire’s friends. Maybe he could take Peyton. Stacey and Raymond would like her, and it’s not as if anyone at the lab would find out.

“Call if you have any more questions,” Stacey added, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She paused long enough to pull him into a quick hug and then hurried off.

His mind full of many things, Mac threw his coffee cup away and made his way to where he’d parked the Avalanche.

*****

“Hey, Mac, I really don’t see why I had to come all the way up…”

Don Flack’s words faded out as the doors of the elevator closed silently behind him. There was no Detective Mac Taylor waiting for him to arrive as he expected. Instead, the lab was mostly dark – only the blue glow of computer screens mixed with the green light of the exit signs.

“Mac? Guys?” he called out uncertainly. “Hello?”

He walked around the corner and peered into Mac’s office but it was as dark and abandoned as everywhere else. Confused, he stood in the middle of the hall, gazing through the glass walls at the empty labs with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

 _Where the heck was everyone_? He’d wrapped up the paperwork for the Brooklyn Bridge case – his first one back on the job since the explosion – and was on his way home when Mac texted him and said he needed to stop by the lab for a few minutes. 

And now no one was here.

Unnerving thoughts started to creep into his brain, and he found himself fingering his weapon as he looked around once more. Was there trouble? Had he walked into a trap?

Suddenly, Adam Ross – the slightly scruffy lab tech – barreled up the stairs from the locker room, his eyes buried in the folder he was holding as he muttered under his breath. Instantly, Don relaxed.

“Ross!” snapped Don when the shorter man was two steps away from walking right into him. The lab rat jumped, fumbling to keep hold of the papers in his folder, and finally raised his head. His eyes widened as he glanced around, taking in the dark, empty lab and his mouth formed a silent “ _oh crap._ ”

“What’s going on?” Don demanded, sure the flash of confusion that shot through the tech’s eyes had been followed by a glint of very guilty panic.

“I…erm…well…”

“Ross!” Don growled again, hiding the smile that threatened to break out behind a stern face. 

The lab rat gave a little squeak and turned to scurry back where he’d come from but Don grabbed him by the arm, raising his eyebrows expectantly in his best interrogation face. Something was up and Ross had info, he could tell. The suspicious wheels in Don’s brain were starting to turn.

“Break room,” breathed Ross after a few seconds of indecision. 

“Thanks, man,” Don said with a smile, patting the younger man on the shoulder and then letting him go. Confidently, he marched to the break room.

“SURPRISE!” yelled a chorus of voices as he flipped the light on, his friends popping out from behind furniture around the room. _Welcome back, Don_! read a handmade banner tapped to the wall. 

He just stood there, crossing his arms and laughing. “A surprise party?” he said. “Really?”

“Come on, man! Give us a little credit! Do you know how hard it is to pull off a surprise party in a building with glass walls?” Messer groused, punching him lightly. 

Don laughed again, warmth rising through him as he looked around. They were all there – Mac, Stella, Messer, Lindsay, Hawkes, Angell – even Sid had climbed up from his creepy lair to join the living for once. And it did feel good to be back.

“It’s even harder when not everyone reads their emails,” said Mac with a good-natured shrug and a glance back to where Ross still stood in the hallway, his face flushed with embarrassment. 

_Ah_. Mac must have sent out an email asking the techs to clear the lab tonight so his team could have a private meeting, and Ross forgot. 

“Is there cake?” Don asked hopefully.

“Have you no faith in us?” replied Stella in fake indignation.

“Good. Just a sec.”

Don hurried back to the doorway and stuck his head out. “Yo, Ross?” he called down the hall. The tech looked up hesitantly. “You like cake?”

The other man gave a confused nod.

“Good, then get in here.” Don hardly knew him, which was probably why Ross wasn’t invited in the first place this being his party, but the man had brought him soup. Don owed him. Besides, it was kinda funny to blow the wind out of Messer’s surprise.

*****

“Hey, this seat taken?”

Lindsay looked up at Danny’s grinning face.

“What would you do if I said yes?” she teased.

“Keep the last piece of cake all for myself,” he answered, pulling the chair out next to her anyway and making himself at home as he brandished a slice of chocolate goodness and two forks.

“Never get between a woman and her chocolate,” scolded Lindsay, grabbing for a fork as her friend laughed.

They ate in silence for a while, sharing the cake and enjoying the party around them. Everyone was relaxed and having fun for once and Lindsay relished being a part of it. Nothing else in her life was relaxed and easy at the moment. 

“You okay?”

She jerked back out of her thoughts to find Danny staring at her in concern.

“Yeah, of course,” she answered quickly, swooping in with her fork to claim the last bite of their treat. Danny let it go without a fight, still gazing at her with a strange expression. “I got my chocolate – everyone’s safe for a while.”

“No, I don’t mean tonight, right now. I mean…you know…overall. You’ve seemed worried – distant – the last few weeks. What’s up?”

Curse Danny and his perceptive skills. He might project a front of cocky cop, but he was really far too discerning and observant. And he was right. Something was wrong, but it wasn’t something she was ready to share with her colleagues. What could she tell him?

She was saved from coming up with an excuse by Mac’s cell phone ringing, however, followed quickly by both Stella’s and Don’s. The solemn expressions that quickly darkened all three of her friends’ faces told her their relaxing night had just ended.

“Party’s over,” Mac said grimly a few seconds later as he hung up with a sigh. “Three bodies, three sites, could be the same killer.”

She made eye contact with Danny, silently communicating what they both knew: this case was going to be a bad one.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Adam stared blearily at the computer, willing his eyes to see something they hadn’t in the last ten hours so he could finish and go home for a while. His back and neck ached, his head was pounding to what felt like the bass line of an ACDC song, and his teeth were wearing fuzzy slippers. A toothbrush. At the moment, he might cheerfully sell his soul just for a toothbrush. But somewhere out there in the city, a man was raping and murdering women, and Mac said none of his team were going home until they caught the monster and locked him up.

With a sigh, he pushed away from the monitor and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. This wasn’t working. He was going to have to start over, come at the evidence from an entirely different angle. First, however, he needed coffee and a snack, something to keep his blood-sugar from completely crashing after so many hours at work.

He grabbed the empty mug by the computer and shuffled from the AV lab, heading for the break room. As he walked, he absently rubbed his eyes and stretched, trying to wake up his exhausted body. He paid little attention to his surroundings until a hushed whisper drifted from the crack of a slightly ajar door, catching his attention. That room was an unused storage closet; what were people doing in there?

“We all saw the posted results this morning,” a male voice whispered sharply. “And all five of us passed.”

“But there’s only one Level Two spot open right now,” another voice chimed in, female this time. Adam realized he was eavesdropping on a conversation between some of the entry level lab techs.

“And we all know what will happen. Some paper-pusher will decide that hiring you looks good for the city, fulfills the ‘Equal Opportunity’ clause for the year, and the rest of us who are smarter and more deserving are out of luck.” It was the male voice again. Adam frowned at the amount of loathing he could hear in it.

“We’ve worked too hard to lose that spot out to a dummy,” a new female voice joined the conversation. Adam cringed at the hurtful words. He had a good idea what was going on now and it made him sick. Stuck inside that room with them was probably Sadie Weasley, the quiet, red-headed lab tech he’d noticed around both working in the lab and cleaning up afterhours. 

“So, from now on until the spot is filled, you’re giving whatever results or tests you run over to one of us and we’re turning them in to the higher-ups.” The male voice was back and Adam mentally filed through the list of techs he knew, trying to put a face and name to the voice. Benjy Aslott he finally decided – big, buff and blond. And apparently, from what he was hearing, also a bully and a creep.

There was a moment of silence and Adam wondered what he should do. Break in on them? Tell someone else?

“Oh, you’ll do it,” growled Benjy, forgetting to whisper. “There’s a whole lot of ways to make a mess around here. We’d hate to have to tell the custodial supervisor that you weren’t doing your little scullery maid job correctly and perhaps he should find someone new.”

Another moment of silence, longer and more painful this time.

“Good,” one of the female voices finally spoke again. “Glad we settled that.”

“And remember,” a different one spoke. “All results to one of us four.”

“And this little conversation never happen,” Benjy added harshly. “You’d better not forget that.”

Suddenly, there was movement from inside the room. Adam unfroze from where he’d been standing and rushed around the corner into the break room before he could be seen, tiredness forgotten as his mind whirled.

What did he do now?

*****

For the rest of the day, as the case dragged on into the night for the third night in a row, Adam kept an eye on his fellow lab rats. By watching the red-haired girl he knew was Sadie, he quickly identified the other four who’d been in on the blackmailing session. They kept relieving her of finished lab work and then passing on their own half-completed projects instead. His gut churned just a little every time he witnessed another exchange.

Finally, after watching Sadie gaze sadly through the glass walls as Mac congratulated Bridget Martins for work that was actually hers, Adam couldn’t take it anymore. He quickly locked his computer and then left the AV lab.

Sadie was alone in the Chemical Lab, washing used test tubes. She looked up when he came in.

“Um, hi,” muttered Adam, shuffling in awkwardly as he began to regret his hasty decision. “I’m…um…Adam.”

She nodded, crinkling her eyes in question. Hesitantly, she started to pull out her ID badge to show him her name but he stopped her.

“And you’re…ah…Sadie. I know,” he stumbled over the words, feeling the heat rising in his face. “And I know you can’t talk, but that’s okay.” He cringed at the way those words sounded and hurried on to try and correct them. “I mean, it’s not okay, it probably kinda sucks, but I don’t…ah…mind?”

 _Way to go, Adam_ , he thought, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep from grabbing at his hair. _You’re off to a brilliant start._

To his relief, however, she relaxed a little and gave him a timid smile. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out the little notebook he’d seen her carry around, writing quickly.

_What do you need?_

“Nothing. I don’t need anything. I just wanted to talk to you.”

Now confusion clouded her expression.

Time to bite the bullet.

“Look, I kinda overheard something earlier today, with the other four who took the test with you…”

Fear shot across her face and she unconsciously backed away from him until she was stopped by the counter behind her.

“Sadie, what they’re doing to you is wrong,” he said quickly, holding his hands up to show he wasn’t a threat. “You shouldn’t let them get away with it.”

Desperate and nervous, her hands suddenly flew, her eyes pleading.

“I’m…um…sorry,” he stammered, feeling awful. “I don’t understand.”

She closed her eyes briefly, a whole range of emotions from frustration to shame flooding her face, before opening them back up and grabbing for her notebook.

 _They threatened to mess up my job. I NEED that job!_ she wrote. _Please don’t tell._

“But, you’re doing more work than any of them and they’re getting all the credit!”

_It’s just one opening. There will be others._

She looked at him again, eyes begging, then turned back to her notebook.

_I have to go now. My cleaning shift starts in 10 minutes._

Swiftly, she brushed passed him, stuffing her notebook back into her pocket with one hand and wiping at her cheek harshly with the back of the other.

Adam watched her go with slumped shoulders, feeling about two feet tall. She was crying. He’d come in trying to help and ended up making her cry.

With a sigh, he headed back to his dark corner of the AV lab to hide.

“Adam.”

He froze in the hall, wishing he hadn’t just heard that voice call his name.

“Adam!” Mac called more insistently. He turned to see his boss beckoning him from inside his office.

“Yeah, boss?” he said hesitantly, entering the room. Mac’s expression was weary, lines creasing his forehead and ringing his eyes. Adam knew he was under a great deal of pressure to solve this case quickly, which meant his temperament probably wasn’t ideal at the moment.

“Have you got anything off the surveillance videos yet?”

“I’ve got a basic height and build, but that’s all. This guy’s good. He seems to know where all the cameras are in an area before he gets there.”

Mac sighed and ran a hand over his face. “Keep looking,” he said, giving Adam a supporting if tired look. “Nobody’s this good. There has to be something we’re missing.”

Adam nodded and moved to leave. 

“Now, do you want to tell me what’s up with the lab techs? What just happened in the Chem. lab?”

Adam gulped as Mac pierced him with that look he was positive could see right through anything, including people. Or maybe it was just the crime lab’s glass walls. Someday, he was gonna have words with the architect...

“Mac…I…um…,” he stuttered, feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Adam,” said Mac, patience waning.

Feeling like a snitch, Adam explained what he’d overheard earlier and what had just happened between him and Sadie. As he listened, Mac’s expression darkened until it was positively thunderous.

“Did I just get Sadie in trouble?” the lab tech asked fearfully at the end of his recap.

“Of course not, Adam,” said Mac shortly, getting tiredly to his feet and pocketing his cell phone. “This will have to wait anyway. I have a meeting with the Chief and you have videos to go through. Call me immediately if you find anything in them.”

“Right, boss,” said Adam, ever so grateful for an excuse to escape from Mac’s office back to the safety of the AV lab.

*****

“You know you shouldn’t let them bully you like that.”

Sadie jumped at the voice that suddenly spoke from right beside her and nearly dropped the rubbish bin she was emptying. Breathing deeply, she carefully set the plastic container down.

*HARVEY!* she signed, glaring at the translucent figure as the silvery words formed in the air above her, all capital letters reflecting her mood. *You gave me a heart attack! I’ve told you a million times to stop doing that!* It was well after three in the morning and they were completely alone in the room as she finished up her cleaning duties for the night.

He shrugged but his face showed he wasn’t really sorry. He moved around and sat at a table, putting his feet up on the top and arranging his shirt around the knife hilt protruding from his chest. Sadie ignored the gruesome sight with practiced ease; after all, a ghost couldn’t help how he’d died.

A rather chubby fellow with curly black hair and laughing eyes, Harvey had been a pre-med student back in the late ‘70s before the unfortunate choice to take a shortcut through a dark alley at night had fatally ended his career. Out of curiosity, he’d stuck around to watch his own autopsy; he found the whole thing so fascinating, he’d stayed ever since. No one had ever seen him hanging around until Sadie had come, although Harvey suspected that Dr. Hammerback knew he was there. Sometimes, late at night, the doctor said things that almost felt conversational.

Sadie smiled as she remembered the day Harvey’d realized she could see him. He’d walked right through Detective Taylor out of joy, causing the boss man to shiver unexpectedly and go back to his office for a coat. He’d become her late night cleaning companion ever since, something neither of them minded. A friend was a friend, no matter their corporeal state.

“I’m serious,” Harvey continued, picking up the conversation as she moved over and started cleaning the sink. “You shouldn’t let them push you around like that. I’ve watched you all day, giving up your hard work for them to take credit for.”

Sadie sighed. *Harvey, it’s not that easy,* she signed, knowing the letters would appear. *I need this extra job. I have to think of Izzy, not myself.*

“Well, it’s not fair.”

*You got stabbed in the chest in a dark alley. Tell me how that’s fair?*

“Touché,” the ghost said, tipping his head to her. “But, on the bright side, I’ve learned way more here than I ever did in school.” He grinned and Sadie couldn’t help but return it. Only Harvey could find the bright side in being murdered.

Sadie shook her head as she rinsed the sink, washing away a long day’s worth of coffee dregs and milk stains. She was so tired tonight and all she wanted was to be done and go home. Pick up Izzy from Mrs. Oddsocks and tuck them both into their own beds, but she had at least another hour of work before that would happen. 

Wearily, she moved on to the refrigerator. It was amazing to her how people so smart and brilliant could so often forget to clean out their own leftovers. She’d posted a notice on the fridge last week warning all and sundry that anything unclaimed by tonight was going to disappear. Now it was time to follow through.

In a short time the fridge was empty and the table was piled high with containers that had once held edible food. Some weren’t too bad, but with others she’d have to spend time in the lab just to figure out what they had once been. She cringed at the smell.

Good thing she’d brought extra trash bags tonight.

“Could I…erm…taste it before you dump it?” Harvey asked hesitantly, eying the disgusting pile longingly. 

*Be my guest,* Sadie signed, knowing all that rotten and fermenting food was a ghost’s dream feast. She busied herself scrubbing the inside of the appliance while Harvey passed through the table several times, sighing contentedly.

“Absolutely the only drawback to being a ghost. I do miss a hearty meal now and again,” he said.

*Done?* Sadie asked, wanting to move on to her final room of the night.

“Yep. And I will say goodnight for now as someone is coming. But remember what I told you. Don’t let them push you around.”

With a smile, Harvey drifted through the wall and out of sight just as someone came into view of the transparent walls.

It was Detective Taylor, the person she’d hoped to avoid more than anyone today.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Mac walked blearily into the break room, desperately needing a caffeine refill. He was catching heat from all sides as this case dragged on, but a few hours ago he’d finally put his foot down and sent his team home. They were all exhausted to the point they weren’t thinking straight; that’s when mistakes were made. The lab couldn’t afford any mistakes on this case. It would be better to hit it with fresh eyes in the morning.

He was not, however, leading by example. It wasn’t the first time he’d spent the night in the lab and it wouldn’t be the last. Besides, he had a couch to crash on if he absolutely needed to. A fresh cup of coffee and he’d be just fine.

Having ordered everyone out himself, he was mildly surprised to find someone already in the break room when he entered. Sadie Weasley had the contents of the room’s refrigerator piled on one of the tables. Vaguely, he remembered a posted notice about things in the fridge going away…

“Making good on your threat, I see?” he said, shaking his head. His weary mind jumped to his conversation with Adam from earlier, mulling over what he should do. He had every intention of meting out some justice and consequences of his own on this issue, but he wasn’t sure now was the right moment, especially not when the young lab tech was eyeing him like he was the Big Bad Wolf, ready to gobble her up. 

Exhausted and appearing a little frightened, Sadie nodded.

Mac continued into the room, making for the vending machines. He entered his change and then set his own mug in the slot, letting it refill.

“Why are you still here so late, Sadie?” he asked kindly as he removed his caffeine fix and turned around to face her. “I sent everyone home hours ago.”

Wordlessly, Sadie gestured hesitantly to the mess she was cleaning.

“Even the cleaning crew doesn’t usually work into the wee hours of the morning, though,” he replied, leaning against the counter.

Left with a question she couldn’t reply to generically, the girl pulled out her worn notebook. _The tests I was running, and then my lab assignments, took longer than planned. Pushed into cleaning time._

_Her tests and everyone else’s she’d done_ , Mac thought darkly, his forehead furrowing. So between the blackmail and the fact he’d kept everyone into the night, she was left scrubbing appliances at three in the morning. He sighed, but there wasn’t anything he could do about that right now. He didn’t have the power to dismiss her cleaning duties, not without jeopardizing her job.

But he could fix the lab problem.

“I was emailed a copy of the test scores,” he said, watching her carefully. “Very impressive. Especially in the Chemistry and Trace categories.”

Sadie blushed and looked down, fear warring with pleasure at the compliment. Mac was sure fear won out, which only served to increase his anger. 

_I need to pay you back for the test fee_ , she wrote quickly, showing him.

“I’m not worried,” he said gently. “Not about that at least,” he added. “But we do need to talk, Sadie.”

Her head jerked up and she unconsciously backed away from him, her emotions painfully clear. With a sigh, Mac gestured to a table away from the one still loaded with forgotten food. He hadn’t planned to do this tonight, but they were both here, without any other prying eyes, so it might as well be dealt with.

“Sit down. The cleaning can wait for a few minutes,” he said as he sank tiredly into a chair, setting his mug down carefully.

Hesitantly, she obeyed.

“This case is stretching the lab to the limits. We’ve got everyone working it, even junior techs. You know that,” he started. 

She nodded.

“I’ve received a lot of reports and lab work in the last twenty-four hours,” he continued, gauging her reaction. “And yet, strangely, none of it came from you…”

Terror flashed across her face and she scrambled for her notebook, but Mac stopped her hands with his. “I think I know this story already,” he told her, forcing her to meet his eyes and just listen. “Correct me if I’m wrong, okay? Five junior lab technicians all have a chance at promotion, but there’s only one job slot. Instead of relying on their own merits, two ring-leaders them give way to jealousy and take the sneakier route, convincing the other two to follow. They gang up on the last, because they think – rightly, as it happens – that she’s better than they are, and they’re afraid.”

Sadie started jerking her head fiercely, but still Mac kept going.

“It’s the truth, Sadie. You caught my attention. No,” he shook his head in dismay when he saw the closed look come to her face. “Not because you don’t talk. Not because I think it’ll make the lab look good, or fill some pencil-pusher’s quota. If you know anything about me, you should know I don’t work like that. Every person who works in this lab earned the right to be here. And I’m telling you right now that you have earned it – that one spot that was open. You, Sadie, with your willingness to work, your attention to detail... and your integrity.”

Sadie grabbed her pencil to scribble in her notebook and this time Mac let her.

_What about the others?_ she wrote.

“What about them?” he answered, his voice stern.

_They’ll think you’re playing favorites and hate me more than they already do._

“I don’t think you’re quite understanding me,” Mac answered, closing her notebook and forcing her to look up again. “I’m the boss. I’m allowed to play favorites. It’s part of my job, to pick through all the dozens of people who work here and weed out the best. When I see someone with merit and talent, I would be the one at fault if I didn’t step in and make sure that talent was used. Not by taking away the process everyone needs to go through to qualify, but by making sure the right steps are followed and opportunities presented. Everyone must earn it, but there was never anything wrong with a little encouragement. Does that make sense?”

Sadie stared at him for a moment, her expression unreadable until finally she nodded.

“And as for the others, it doesn’t matter what they think. They made their choice when they did this to you,” the anger was back in his voice. Anger on Sadie’s behalf, but also anger that the values he tried to uphold in the lab had been trampled so carelessly underfoot. “I won’t tolerate or overlook lies and blackmail. They’ll have to find somewhere else to excel.”

He tried to give the young lab tech a reassuring look, but Sadie still looked fearful and guilty. 

“This isn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong, except perhaps fail to stand up for yourself or let me know what was happening.” Sudden insight struck him and he frowned, studying the girl closely. “Are you having issues with others here?”

She didn’t look up, avoiding his gaze. Instead she shrugged, opening her notebook to write two short sentences.

_I’m different. People don’t like different._

Mac laughed, something she obviously didn’t expect, as she glanced up with a hurt expression on her face, making her look so very young. “Sadie, have you looked around you? I’ve got a former medical examiner running about solving cases, and a current medical examiner who takes naps on his exam tables. My senior lab tech wears Scooby-Doo t-shirts and dances when he thinks no one is looking, and my partner frequently chews me out in fluent Greek. I don’t even want to know what the rest of them are up to. Not speaking doesn’t even make the list of what’s different around here.”

For the first time all night, Sadie cracked a smile. *Thank you, sir,* she signed, knowing he’d understand at least those basic words. Then she gave him a sheepish, puzzled look, pointing to him and using the universal gesture for confusion.

“How did I know?” he guessed, feeling the lateness of the hour hit him again as the severity of the conversation eased. 

Sadie nodded. Mac could tell she was piecing it together and decided to save Adam.

“Yes, Adam told me, but only because I witnessed most of the conversation between you two from my office and ordered him to. Besides, I’m not as blind and removed as some people seem to wish I was; I can tell when something’s wrong in my lab.”

*Sorry,* Sadie signed, head hanging.

“It wasn’t a reprimand, Sadie,” Mac said gently. “Just a reminder. Now, I’d better let you finish so you can actually get home tonight. And I’m ordering you to get some sleep. Take the second shift; I’ll work it out on the schedule.”

Nodding gratefully, exhaustion practically oozing from her, Sadie climbed to her feet.

Mac grabbed his coffee mug and after a last encouraging glance at his young employee, left the room. At least he’d managed to make one thing right.

*****

Sadie was doing the menial task of entering fingerprints into the computer database when they cornered her the next afternoon. It was right when most of the detectives and senior staff were conveniently gone. A break in the case had finally come a few hours earlier and now it was over everyone scattered to catch up on tasks they’d neglected before. At the moment, it was mostly just the underlings running around and filling up the glass rooms of the crime lab.

“You told, didn’t you!” Benjy spat venomously, getting right in her face. 

Fearfully, Sadie shook her head.

“They just posted the job and it somehow still went to you!” added Madison Gray. Madison and her shadow Stephanie were usually content to just follow the others, willing to go along with whatever the other two said, but apparently Sadie getting the job riled them up enough to break out of their molds.

“So you must have run off and tattled to the boss like a baby, even after we told you not to!” finished Bridget with an angry hiss.

With a sigh, Sadie again shook her head even though she knew her protests weren’t going to make any difference. She desperately wished she could defend herself, answer back, but her signs were useless and an impassioned rant lost something when it had to be written down and then read. Instead, she turned back to her work, placing the next set of prints on the scanner and hoping maybe they’d go away if she ignored them.

Yeah right.

Suddenly, Bridget shoved her hard enough she slid abruptly off the stool, barely keeping her feet as she grabbed the counter for balance. There was pure hatred in the other girl’s eyes when she spoke. “We think you should tell Detective Taylor that you won’t be taking the job,” Bridget seethed. 

Sadie glared at them all, anger flaring. It was Hogwarts all over again, only instead of a bunch of Slytherins cornering her in a dark corridor it was a group of her colleagues who should have known better. And as always, every scathing remark or defense she could have thrown at them was taken away from her, trapped rattling around inside her head with no release. She hated that helplessness more than anything! The fury started to cloud her judgment and override her fear for her job. She found her fingers inching towards her bag and the slim, familiar piece of wood she kept there, but before she could do anything stupid a voice interrupted.

“She will most certainly be taking the job,” it growled.

All five of their heads snapped around to find a furious Detective Taylor standing in the doorway, keys in his hand as though he’d just come back from somewhere. Sadie knew he had a reputation as a stern and solemn man which many mistook for anger, but from the quiet observations of him with his team she’d seen through that to a warmer side hidden away. 

However, there was nothing warm about the man seething in the doorway. At the moment, he could freeze water with a glance. Apparently, the scary reputation wasn’t entirely unfounded either.

“Sadie, are you okay?” he asked.

Nervously, she nodded.

“Finish what you were doing then,” he said briskly. “The rest of you will come to my office now,” he ordered, his eyes cold and dangerous and his words leaving no room for protest. The tables turned on them, Benjy, Madison, Stephanie and Bridget reluctantly slunk from the room, fear on their own faces for once.

Sadie tried hard not to listen to the raised voice coming from Detective Taylor’s closed office as she continued with her task, but too many years of impaired sight and existing unnoticed in the background had left her with excellent hearing. And the yelling was very loud. Despite what they’d done to her, she couldn’t help cringing a few times in sympathy for the harsh dressing down.

“Makes you glad you aren’t the one in there when this happens, doesn’t it?” 

Sadie glanced to her side to find Adam Ross standing there. She nodded emphatically.

“I’m sorry I spilled your secret,” the other tech muttered, blushing and not meeting her eyes. “I mean, I’m not, because I’m glad Mac’s stopped what the others were doing to you, but…you know what I mean.”

Sadie shrugged and nodded, trying to tell him it was all right, she didn’t hold it against him. She wished with all her heart she could just tell him, like any normal girl would.

A particularly loud phrase from the boss’s office made them both wince.

_Does he do this a lot?_ Sadie pulled out her notebook and wrote quickly as they both purposely kept their eyes averted so no one would think they were staring.

“Only when you deserve it,” Adam answered with a rather painful grin.

She pointed to him and raised her eyebrows, hoping he’d understand what she meant and wouldn’t think her too nosey for asking.

“Has he ever yelled at me? Oh, yeah!” he said heartily. “When he’s stressed, he yells. But, like I said, I usually deserve it.”

Behind them the yelling stopped. Sadie risked a glance up as the door to the office opened and the four other lab techs left. For a moment, her eyes met theirs and she could practically feel the malice and loathing directed her way. 

She shivered slightly until Adam stepped up beside her.

“Don’t judge us all by the actions of a few jerks, okay,” he said softly, glaring at the other four as they turned and made their way to the locker room. 

Across the hallway, Detective Taylor caught her eye from where he still stood inside his office. He gave her a short, encouraging nod. She hesitantly returned it.

“Boss man likes you. That’s always a good thing,” Adam stage whispered beside her, giving her a shy grin when she turned to face him. “So, wanna celebrate getting the Level Two spot? I have a stash of Snickers bars hidden in the AV lab…”

Sadie couldn’t quite figure out why Adam was still talking to her now that his apology was over with. He was the senior tech, after all, and she was still on the bottom of the status ladder, even with the promotion. Besides, he was part of Detective Taylor’s personal team. But he seemed genuine, and the part of her that so missed having friends wanted desperately to believe she might have made one. Deciding she didn’t have anything to lose, she nodded.

“Awesome!” he cried. “Let me show you to my treasure chest.”

A grin split her face unbidden and she followed him from the room.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

“Johnny! Here Johnny!” Danny muttered.

It had seemed like a great idea at the time, bringing Johnny here to the lab. And his experiment with the glass had worked! At least until he turned his back for two seconds to talk to Hawkes and the mangy mutt gave him the slip. Now he was stuck searching the halls of the crime lab, furtively calling for the beast while trying not to draw anyone’s attention.

Heaven forbid he should run into Mac and have to explain himself.

“Johnny, you get back here right now!” he threatened through gritted teeth as he tried to surreptitiously look under a counter on the ruse of having dropped his glasses.

No dumb dog under there.

He sighed in frustration. The mutt was never leaving the apartment again!

Walking faster, Danny left the main portion of the lab and wandered back into the less populated rooms where supplies were stored. He checked every door as he passed it, but nothing scruffy and short was behind any of them.

“With my luck he’s probably lounging on Mac’s couch by now, chewing on the leather,” he grumbled out loud. The thought was so horrible it made him pause for a second as he contemplated the conversation that would follow _that_ particular scenario. He shuddered.

Still shaking his head as he moved on, he rounded the next corner and walked straight into another person. Things clattered to the ground left and right as excited barking rang out.

“Johnny!” Danny cried, relieved. His sneaky pooch was clutched in the arms of the young woman he’d just plowed into. She struggled to keep her grip on the squirming dog that was obviously happy to see him, while the boxes of unopened latex gloves she’d been carrying in her other arm now lay all over the floor.

“Sorry!” he said with an apologetic grin. He hurried to gather them into a stack once more. As he stood the girl gestured to the small tag that hung around his dog’s neck then pointed at him.

“Yeah, Johnny’s mine.”

The young woman’s eyebrows climbed at the name.

“Yes, he’s named Johnny! You know, like Johnny Cash, the ultimate loner?” Danny explained in exasperation. Was it so hard to believe that he, a street-wise detective, might own a semi-cute little dog?

She shook her head, her young face scrunched in up in confusion behind her glasses.

“You mean you’ve never heard of Johnny Cash?”

Again she shook her head no.

“Never mind then,” he muttered. He took the wriggling dog back which allowed her to retrieve her supplies. “Thanks for catching him.”

She shrugged.

He studied her a little closer. “You’re the new Level Two, aren’t you? The one Ross has been showing around?” He decided not to mention the accompanying blackmail scandal that the rumor mill had gone wild with in connection to her promotion.

The girl nodded, standing again with her hands full of boxes.

“Sydney is it?” he questioned, hedging a guess at her name. He wasn’t very good with names.

She shook her head, blushing. An awkward silence descended as Danny waited for the young tech to volunteer her correct name, but she just stood with her lips pursed together and blushed harder.

“Well, thanks again,” he finally said. “Better get Johnny home.”

Completely flummoxed, Danny turned and walked away, a million strange thoughts racing through his head.

*****

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Harshly, Sadie shoved the boxes of protective gloves into the cupboard and shut the door.

_Why do you always have to be so stupid?_

Avoiding eye contact with any of the other techs, she slipped from the lab and made her way to the locker room, her shift finally over for that day.

_It’s not like you’re helpless! You could have put down the bloody boxes and pulled out your notebook to answer his question instead of standing there like an idiot!_

She snatched her bag and then slammed her locker shut angrily. Keeping her head down, she fled the building, opting for the stairs to make sure she didn’t run into anyone else. She couldn’t handle anymore humiliating attempts at conversation today.

*****

It was late when Danny exited the elevator into the lab. He’d dropped Johnny off at his apartment before following up on a lead with the Holly case. Usually, he would have just gone home again afterwards instead of coming back into work, but he was still bothered by the strange encounter in the hallway from earlier. He figured he might as well report what he’d found to Mac and then corner Ross with some questions. It was almost a sure bet that both men were still at the lab. It was like they’d each made a pact with the devil to not ever need sleep. 

He was right. The boss was exactly where he predicted – in his office, skewering a file with one of his pointed glares. A quick conversation later and Danny was off in search of a quirky labrat he had to admit he now considered a friend. 

He found him rummaging through a closet in one of the back rooms.

“Yo, Adam,” he called brightly as he walked in.

The younger man screeched in alarm and jumped a mile before whipping around to glare at him.

“Dude, could you _not_ do that? It’s bad enough I have to worry about the boss sneaking up on me!”

Danny just laughed.

“What do you need?” Adam asked, rolling his eyes as he closed the closet and moved over to the next one.

Danny watched him curiously, shoving his hands in his pockets as he brought up the topic he’d been stuck on. “What’s up with the new girl?” 

“Huh?”

“The new tech. Red hair, glasses… You’ve been working with her all week now… Shelby…Sophie…?”

Adam stilled and turned to face him completely. Danny wondered if he was even aware of the guarded, protective look that fell across his features.

“Sadie,” his friend corrected softly.

“Knew I was close!” Danny grumbled. “So, what’s up with her? She act weird around you at all? I pretty much point blank asked her to correct me on the name thing and she didn’t say a word!”

Adam’s expression was unreadable for a moment before he spoke. “Danny, Sadie can’t talk.”

The confusion drained from him as Adam’s words filtered into his brain, replaced by a huge wave of regret.

“Aw crap,” he spat, running his hands through his disheveled hair. “And now I feel like a complete jerk.”

“Why didn’t she write it down for you?” Adam sounded puzzled.

“Her hands were full of boxes,” Danny answered, remorse filling him as he remember the awkward encounter. “That particular problem never even crossed my mind.”

“Hey, she’s a good at her job!” the younger tech suddenly blurted, defensively.

“Wow,” Danny cried, holding his hands up. “Never said she wasn’t, so, where did that come from?”

Adam blushed.

“She needs a friend.”

He softened. “Volunteered, did ya?” he teased lightly. _Or was assigned. Maybe both_ , he couldn’t help thinking. This had all the indications of one of Mac’s subtle nudges. Still, he made plans in his head to find the new tech the next morning and apologize.

Adam blushed again and turned back to his digging. Danny decided to take pity on him and drop the subject.

“What ya lookin’ for?”

“Spare batteries for the 3D imager. Mac wants the apartment where the mummified remains were found scanned and recreated at the lab tomorrow.”

“Workin’ with the boss. Sounds fun.”

Ross gave a noncommittal noise that just made Danny grin more. “Here, I’ll help you look. Can’t be too many places in here for spare batteries to disappear.”

*****

Grumpily, Sadie dumped the small stack of mismatched dishes into the worn enamel sink, still upset over what had happened at work earlier. The scene from the hallway with the blond detective kept playing over and over in her mind as she mentally berated herself. She hadn’t spoken since she was nine! Why did people’s reactions still manage to unnerve and upset her? 

“Mummy?”

Izzy’s little voice was full of held-back tears as it broke through her dark thoughts. Sadie turned from the washing up to look at her daughter.

“Dragon broken,” the child hitched, and the tears finally escaped down her tiny cheeks as she held up her toy in one hand, stuffing peeking from the hole where a leg used to be. In her other hand she held the missing limb, yarn unraveling at the top.

Sadie’s bad mood melted away as the girl’s lips wobbled. She dried her wet hands on the apron that covered her work blouse and skirt then knelt down. Smiling gently, she wiped the tears from Izzy’s face with her thumbs before taking the two pieces of the homemade toy from the almost three-year-old.

*Don’t worry,* she signed one-handed. *Mummy can fix Dragon.*

She grasped the little girl by the hand and led her to the makeshift shelves that stood against the west wall of their tiny, one-room flat, only letting go long enough to find a pair of knitting needles, some yarn, and a sewing needle. Then she walked to the old rocking chair that graced the center of the room and sat down, pulling Izzy into her lap. The toddler snuggled back into her, hiding her toes in the hem of her nightdress, and watched Sadie’s hands with complete faith.

Rocking gently, Sadie caught the lose yarn up into a row of new stitches, then used the sewing needle to reattach the leg to Dragon’s body. As she worked, a comfortable silence filled the room as if it was at home there.

By the time she finished her mending, Izzy was asleep in her lap. She tucked the little, green dragon next to her and then just sat there for a while, cherishing the feeling of her baby in her arms and the soothing motion of the chair. Tripod left his spot on Izzy’s bed and jumped onto her legs as well, purring as he squeezed himself between her side and the arm of the chair. Absently, she alternated brushing her fingers through the fine, ginger strands of her daughter’s hair and the black fur of her cat as she gazed around their home, her thoughts drifting.

_Home_. Such a hopeful description of what was actually a pitiful, wretched space. Peeling paint and cracked walls, ancient, hardly-working appliances, cobbled together furniture scrounged from thrift stores or the street… It broke her heart.

The money she’d inherited after the Battle and Archie’s death had been enough to get her through NYU – barely. She’d rented a tiny, dump of an attic room from a boarding house and plowed ahead, burning through the gold to finish school and still eat without having to work on the side. She loaded on the classes, attending year round, and then tried not to go spare with her workload and a new baby. By the time she graduated, every knut was gone. The job at the Crime Lab had seemed like miracle. Finally, she would be able to give her daughter a proper home, with nice, comfortable things.

Only, it hadn’t worked like that. The pay at the lab was surprisingly meager, but the woman who processed her papers assured her that was what all entry level lab technicians made. Meaning there was little she could do but keep going. She took on a second job cleaning the building after hours and then found the best flat her wages would cover – a one room catastrophe on the fourth floor of a completely horrible building.

She tried to make it a home. They couldn’t afford real beds, but she lovingly covered the mattresses with the quilts her mum had made and Archie had managed to save. She hung pictures and bright paper flowers on the peeling walls, curtains at the cracked windows. Second-hand stores became her best friends as she hunted for anything to try and turn the horrible, little room into a place fit for a child to live.

But nothing she did could hide the ugliness, the chill that crept in through the old windows and under the door, or the awful sounds of the rest of the building. The flat didn’t even have a proper loo, just a toilet and a tub tucked into the corner of the kitchen around which she’d hung a curtain in a vain attempt at a little privacy. It ate at her to know Izzy was living here, to realize she couldn’t give her baby the life she deserved.

She’d been hopeful this new promotion would change things, but once again, the raise in pay had been minimal.

Of course, she could have fixed it all with a few waves of her wand, but she wouldn’t. Magic of that proportion in a Muggle neighborhood would have brought Aurors poking around her door, asking questions that she didn’t want to answer. She’d vowed to keep Izzy safe, and if that meant raising her in a sad, little flat so be it. 

Sighing, Sadie nudged Tripod. He cracked an eye open in annoyance but didn’t move. The cat seemed to think that only having three legs afforded him some kind of special privileges. Shaking her head with a smile, she continued to prod the cat until he finally climbed haughtily off her lap, wandering over to settle on her bed instead. She stood carefully, holding Izzy, and walked over to the little girl’s mattress. Lovingly, she pulled the quilts and blankets back and tucked her in snugly. Izzy stirred and opened her eyes, smiling when she saw Dragon.

“Thanks, Mummy,” she whispered, signing the words as she spoke.

*You’re welcome. Now go to sleep, little one. Mischief managed.*

“Mischief managed,” Izzy returned with her voice and her hands. Then she wiggled down into her bed and closed her eyes.

*****

“Here, hold this wall right here while I connect the other half,” Adam said, moving Sadie into place and then turning around to fiddle with another section of the room they were supposed to be putting back together. A few moments later he looked up to see the wall teetering dangerously.

“Wow!” he cried, rushing to help his friend who was straining to keep their project upright. When the thing was stable again, he turned a sheepish grin at Sadie. “Sorry about that.”

“You two tryin’ to destroy Mac’s crime scene?” They both whipped their heads around to find Danny coming into the room. The detective strolled over and took hold of the other piece of wall, lifting it to slide into place against the one they were holding.

“We had it!” Adam protested, rolling his eyes at the other man.

“Yeah, totally.”

Adam resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at his friend. That seemed a little childish, even for him.

“You here to check on us?” he asked as he tightened the clamps and braces that would hold the reconstructed wall into place.

“No, just to apologize.”

Danny walked over to where Sadie was setting up the dummy in the chair while obviously trying to avoid eye contact.

“So, Sadie is it?” Danny asked with a charming, easy smile. “Or I can keep calling you Sydney if you’d rather,” he teased.

A tiny smile cracked her lips and she finally glanced up, shaking her head. She held her ID badge out for him to read.

“Well, Sadie Weasley, I’m Danny Messer, and don’t believe a word Ross here might tell you about me. I’m really very sweet and lovable, despite yesterday’s incident.”

Adam snorted and shook his head, looking away from the scene he’d been openly watching and walking over to his computer. “Whatever,” he called over his shoulder as his fingers flew across the keys. Mac would be down in less than half an hour and he really needed to get this finished.

“He’s not working you too hard, is he?” the conversation continued behind him. “You’re Ross’s first trainee and it just might be going to his head…”

“Har-har,” he muttered without turning his head. He was playing along with the teasing, but secretly he didn’t mind. Sadie needed to be noticed and included by more people in the lab than just Mac and him. Danny was a good friend; Adam knew he’d treat Sadie like part of the family. “So, are you two done, because some of us have work to do, Messer,” he added.

He glanced back to see Sadie smiling for real, a sight that made his heart leap. 

“I’m tellin’ ya, he gives you any trouble, you just come find me, okay?” Danny sent her a wink before strolling from the room.

Sadie looked at Adam and gave a sort of confused shrug.

Adam rolled his eyes again with a laugh. “Danny is…well…Danny. I guess he grows on you. Now, come here, I wanna show you something I just found…”

*****

“You know, I remember being alive.”

Sadie shook her head but didn’t comment. Harvey was in one of his philosophical moods again and commenting would only encourage him.

“I remember amazing things like motorcycles, flannel sheets, drive-up movies…”

The ghost lounged in a cross-legged position about a foot above Detective Bonasera’s desk as Sadie mopped the shared office’s floor.

“And you know what I remember most about being alive? That you have to eat to stay that way!” He sat up, looking at her sharply.

She rolled her eyes and leaned on her mop, finally risking some words. It was very early in the morning and there was no one around to catch sight of her magical letters other than Harvey.

*I do eat,* she signed quickly.

“When?” her translucent friend demanded. “Because I haven’t seen you eat lunch all week. Or dinner for that matter. I’ve been watching.”

Sadie’s empty stomach rumbled at the mention of food. Harvey pounced on the sound.

“HA!” he said, folding his arms in triumph.

Her shoulder’s sagged in defeat. Izzy had hit a growth spirt in the last few months and none of her clothes fit anymore. A shopping trip to a second-hand store to buy a few essentials for the little girl had severally eaten into the funds Sadie usually set aside for groceries. Harvey was right – she’d been skipping lunch and sometimes dinner for the last few weeks to try and make it through until the next payday.

*Sometimes, you do what you have to do,* she signed simply, giving Harvey a sad smile.

Her friend let his arms uncross, dropping the teasing. 

“Sadie, something isn’t right. I’m telling you, I’ve hung around here for a long time and I’ve watched things. You really need to ask someone to check it out.”

Sadie shook her head firmly. *No,* she answered. *I will not risk this job by complaining.*

Harvey sighed. “You know, based on the stories you’ve told me and the information I’ve managed to glean from the ghost community, it’s completely clear that you and that cousin of yours are related. You’re both too stubborn for your own good!”

She had to smile at that because it was probably true. Stubbornness did seem to be a Potter family trait. Still, it didn’t do anything to change her mind.

“But, since I can’t get you to see reason, I’m going to go see what Sid has going in the morgue today. That mummy from last week was completely fascinating!”

Sadie waved goodbye as the ghost drifted through the wall and around the corner, then turned back to her cleaning, pointedly ignoring the pinched emptiness in her stomach.

*****

New York City’s 12th precinct building was as different from the crime lab as it could be. Where the lab was all sleek, modern lines and glass walls, the precinct harkened back to a much earlier era with its maze of tiled halls and worn woodwork. And yet, somehow that sense of the passage of time and lives through its corridors made Sadie feel much more at home than she ever felt in the lab.

It didn’t, however, stop her from getting hopelessly lost though.

She was supposed to be delivering a flash drive of evidence to a Detective Angell. She’d volunteered because it was on her way to the Norumbega subway station anyway, but more than that she was curious about the place so many of the others in the lab talked about. Of course now, as she wandered the green-tinted hallways she didn’t quite know how she was going to find the detective and complete the job.

She rounded a corner that looked just like the last twenty she’d turned, signing in frustration. At this rate, she’d have to start dropping breadcrumbs to find her way out again. She was just about to swallow her pride and ask someone for help when she heard familiar voices from up ahead. There, standing in another turn were Detectives Messer and Monroe. 

_Thank Merlin,_ she muttered in her head, and rushed forward, but as the actual words of the conversation drifted to her, she slowed and finally stopped, hanging back awkwardly as she guiltily eavesdropped.

“Look, I mean, you and I, we have this thing, this chemistry. Like we’re in to each other. But every time we’re in the same room together today it’s like…” Detective Messer paused, seemingly trying to gather his thoughts into words. “Don’t tell me you don’t feel it also.”

“I can’t do this, Danny,” Detective Monroe answered. Sadie thought she looked extremely sad.

“You can’t do what?”

“I can’t be in a relationship with you.”

“I don’t…I…I…I just… I’m talkin’ about spending some time together! Dinner, a few drinks, some laughs.” Detective Messer shrugged helplessly, and Sadie could tell he was frustrated and confused.

“Look, Danny, I like you. A lot.” Detective Monroe’s words were hesitant and soft. “But right now, I can’t. It’s not you, okay? It’s… I just…I need to be by myself so I can work some stuff out, that I thought I put behind me. I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“It’s s’ok.”

“Maybe we should just do our jobs and…” She never finished her sentence, just turned and walked quickly away. 

Almost desperately, Detective Messer called after her, “If there’s anything you need from me, just let me know, okay?” Then he just stood there and watched where she had gone long after he could actually see her. Finally, he sighed and turned the other way.

To Sadie, he appeared crushed, as if someone had just yanked the rug out from under his world. His head hung low and his shoulders drooped in defeat. He was several steps down the hall before he noticed Sadie standing there.

“Oh, hey,” he said glumly.

Sadie waved with a shy, guilty half-smile.

“Did you hear all that?” He gestured back down the hall to where the conversation had happened.

Embarrassed, she nodded, wondering how upset he would be. To her surprise, however he didn’t even seem offended. Instead, he started talking, as if unable to hold the words back.

“I don’t know what to do, ya know?” he said, running a hand down his face. “I get this vibe from her, like she’s into me an’ we got this connection, but whenever I try to do somethin’ she backs away! What do I do?”

Startled by his unexpected confiding in her when she barely knew him, Sadie wasn’t sure what to do. But then her thoughts were drawn back to the summer between her fourth and fifth years at Hogwarts. It had been a dark time in her life and yet, with a patience and tenderness she never expected, Fred had gently worked to pull her out of it and slowly win her affection. Fred Weasley never did anything slowly or subtly – so that alone told her how much he meant it. Maybe, this was a similar situation…

Decision made, Sadie withdrew her notebook from her pocket.

_Just be patient with her. Give her time_ , she wrote. Most of all, don’t give up.

“Yeah, I guess. Nothing else I can really do, is there?”

Sadie shook her head no with what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

“You got experience with messed up relationships like this?” the detective asked, giving her a knowing look.

She just shrugged. Spilling those secrets would take more than a pad of paper, and probably get her arrested for breaking the Muggle Protection Act.

“So, what you doin’ here?” he asked, turning the conversation back to her.

She produced the flash drive and then wrote _Detective Angell?_ in her notebook.

“You’re lookin’ for Angell? Well, you’re about five hallways in the wrong direction,” he said with a warm smile. “Come on, let me show you out of this maze.”

*Thank you!* Sadie signed, following gratefully after him through the busy building.

*****

_“She gave you flower duty, eh?”_

_Sadie turned from the large pot of flowers she was watering to see the tall, lanky form of Fred Weasley leaning against the side of the shed._

_She smiled._

_*I volunteered,* she signed one-handed. *Too many people in the house.*_

_“I know! Why does it take so many people to put on a wedding? I’m ready to kip in a tent for the next week just to avoid them!”_

_He left the shed and walked toward her, bending down so his forehead touched hers. “What do you say, Mrs. Weasley? Want to join me in a tent for a week?”_

_Sadie blushed and laughed silently, then pecked him on the cheek before setting down the watering can so she could speak properly._

_*Hush!* she warned. *What if someone overhears you?*_

_“Then I get to shout it from the top of the Burrow, complete with fireworks. I have to admit I’m not really seeing the downside of that at the moment.”_

_*Fred!* she protested, slapping him on the shoulder. *We agreed to not steal Bill’s big day.*_

_Fred sighed melodramatically. “You are a stubborn woman.” Suddenly, however, he turned serious. Sadie cocked her head curiously._

_*What?* she asked._

_“This whole wedding thing… The flowers and dress and hoopla… Do you feel bad you didn’t get that? That I dragged you off to a little closet of an office on the spur of the moment?”_

_Sadie smiled softly. *No,* she simply said._

_“Still,” Fred hedged, “I wanted you to…to have part of it.”_

_She furrowed her brow, a little lost. *What are you talking about?*_

_He didn’t answer, just reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate, sliver chain. From the end of it dangled a ring with a small red stone in the center that caught the morning light as it twisted and turned._

_Sadie gasped._

_“I love you and I married you. You deserve a ring just like any other bride. Someday, I’ll get to tell the world that, but until then, wear it around your neck. Our secret.”_

_Sadie felt tears spring to her eyes as Fred moved behind her, fastening the slender chain around her neck._

_“I love you,” he whispered into her hair, pulling her close. Sadie closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of him, wanting to keep the moment forever…_

With a start, Sadie woke to the jarring black, chill of her flat, the feeling of the dream quickly fading away. She reached for her glasses and then slipped from her corner mattress, pulling a well-worn blanket about her shoulders as she stood to help stave off the cold. Izzy still slept peacefully in her little cocoon of quilts, so Sadie padded quietly to the opposite side of the room, stopping in front of the small window above the sink. As the tepid, early morning light trickled weakly through the cracked panes, she hugged her arms tightly around herself and let the tears gently fall. Without conscious thought, her fingers toyed with the little ring that still hung about her neck.

The dream had been so vivid – his voice, his smile, his arms around her, his breath and fingers ghosting at her neck.

And then she woke and it was gone, leaving nothing but memories and the gaping hole in her heart.


End file.
